Happy Memorial Day

Memorial Day was packed with tons of family fun for us. We headed out to Ken and MarGene's to spend the day and boy did we have a great time.

We started out going to the beach. Where Megan loved collecting as many shells as she could find. I think she would have loved to take them all if we let her. Andrew was really good and just tagged along taking it all in.

We saw lots of fun sea creatures and got to stand in the surf a bit. Andrew was a bit afraid of the water but as long as he was with someone he hung out. Megan as usual wanted to try it all and see it all.

The beach was great fun and we look forward to doing it again some time. Megan says that the beach was the funnest part of her day.

After frolicking in the sand and surf we headed home for a quick lunch before we headed out again for miniature golf. There was a cute 18 hole course that was pretty fun. Andrew had his first and only meltdown at this juncture because the green putter was too big for him and he could only have the orange one. Green is his favorite color and he didn't care if it was too big.

Andrew wasn't a fan of the drive shots and pretty much at every hole went right to the end to place his ball and hit it in saying "I win, I win, I win!" Megan did the whole scoop, drag technique in hitting her balls. Some how her stoke number always seemed to be a bit off but it was all fun in the game.

We then headed out to pick up some fresh carmel corn and then off to swim at the lodge. Luckily for you I don't have pictures of that scary swimsuit action as we all got in for a lazy relaxing dip. It was nice to soak away the day and just have some family time. My kids love to swim with their floaties and it is tough to drag them out when we are done.

We ended our day playing some Wii and eating that carmel corn. The kids were really good for us and we really did have a blast. Now life returns back to normal and we're back to our daily routine. It was a nice holiday and I'm glad we got to do so much. I hope everyone else had a nice Memorial Day!!

Oh the Spring Fair...

It is that time of year again when the Spring Fair rolls into town. We dragged MarGene along for our family fun. The weather was perfect for us in spite of the weatherman saying it was supposed to rain. We were very thankful for the sun. We haven't had a whole lot of sun lately so that was really nice for us.

We did a quick shopping tour and then went straight to the rides. We bought tickets for the kids to each get 7 rides. We started off a little rough as Megan wanted different rides than Andrew. Their first ride was the ever so popular canoe ride. Megan got wet from Andrew splashing her and from that point we got the sour face look for a few rides. MarGene reminded me that the last time we went Megan had a complete meltdown so this was interesting that she was acting up yet again. We had to make a few comments to her and she turned her frown upside down. I kind of think it was more the fun ride she got to go on that made her happy but whatever works right??

The kids steadily picked their rides and ended with the Jumbo slide. There were a few other rides that I think they may have liked but the deal was 7 rides each and we were done.

After the rides it was time to fill ourselves full of fatty fair food. I'd like to say we went right to the food area and indulged but it was Andrew's turn to make a fuss. He was not happy at all with the end of the rides. He showed his unhappiness by trying to run away while screaming "NO" and having Jeff chase him. It was great fun with all the stares we were getting. Once he was captured he felt like he needed a toy for his efforts. We had to walk down food row with a screaming, wiggling Andrew. Got to love the tantrums. We stopped long enough for MarGene to get something yummy and headed for the gates. There was no way we were staying with that kind of behavior. We missed out a little bit of stuff but not much. It wasn't the funnest outing but it was family time to say the least. Ya win some and lose some.

Happy Easter

We've had a full Easter weekend this season. It started off with Megan bring home her class project of her own little bunny basket. It kind of got both kids all excited for the events to come.

Then on Saturday we head out to Ken and MarGene's and got a surprise invite to a community Easter Egg Hunt. It was a bit rainy but the kids hardly noticed once the hunt began. I'd say there were around 125 kids or so all scrambling around to find little Easter egg treasures. It was great fun. The kids each got to take 12 eggs home and loved it. There was even an Easter Bunny out to visit the site. We didn't get a chance to sit with him as he was swarmed with children and neither kids would want to wait in line. It was still a great event.

After that hunt we headed back to Ken and MarGene's house for another Easter egg hunt by Grandma and Papa.

That was equally as fun as the one before it and much less crowded. I think they both enjoyed the hunt the most and of course getting to eat the rewards. It is always fun to hunt Easter eggs with candy and toys.

A huge thank you to Ken and MarGene for the two Easter Egg hunts. The kids really had a ton of fun. Megan said she had an awesome time and loved it. While we were there we also got a little babysitting so Jeff and I could go out for his belated birthday dinner and a movie. We really appreciate it. We rarely get to get out just the two of us so it was really nice for us.

For Easter morning Jeff made the kids bunny and egg shaped pancakes. Then they headed for a quick bath to wash off all the sticky before the family Easter experience began. It all happened sort of differently then I had planned but worked out for us. While the kids bathed we got everything ready for them. Fresh out of the bath the kids then went on their third Easter egg hunt and had just as much fun as the first time. Then they went on the treasure hunt that Jeff planned out searching for clues to find their baskets. Megan really loved this part. It was truly the thrill of the hunt for her. Andrew just tagged along and smiled the whole time.

The kids are currently checking out their baskets and having a fun morning. In a bit we will begin to get ready for church. It will be nice to go get the spiritual side of Easter and for the kids to learn the true meaning. I think it is the perfect way to end our Easter weekend. I think this is the first time that we've actually done so much so it will be nice to slow things down a little. A big Happy Easter to all our family and friends!!

Parades are fun and free!!

During half time of conference we got a chance to get out and head to the daffodil parade in town. This is the first time we've gone to it so we weren't really sure what to expect. The kids were just excited to have the sun shining and to get outside. As we waited for the parade to begin Andrew decided he was going to be the parade and danced around in the street :} He was a one man show for all.

The whole parade experience wouldn't be complete without some cotton candy treats which we all enjoyed. Not so much Andrew as the texture was a bit weird for him so he got some M&M's I happen to have in my bag. Gotta love the sugar rush for the kids. It helped get them settle in their seats for the big event.

Once the parade got going it captured both kids attention. They loved checking out the bands and floats. Andrew loved to say "Hi" to just about everyone that passes. Megan loved telling me what she wanted me to take a picture of. Basically all the "pretty" floats were a must for her.

I think the big favorite was the pirate ship. It blasted out a cannon and a pirate came up and gave each of the kids a silver pirate coin. They loved it and had the biggest grins on their faces. Andrew wasn't even interested in what was coming next as he watched the pirate ship disappear down the street.

There were tons of school bands playing groovy songs, there were nice floats, clowns, pirates, classic cars, horses, and more. The kids enjoyed themselves and it was a good little outing for the family. It is fun to just be together.

Happy Birthday Jeff!!

A big Happy Birthday to Jeff!! He had to work a half day but got to come home to spend some time with the family. We took him out to Red Robin for a nice lunch which went well considering we had both kids with us.

Now we are all stuffed and the kids are entertaining Jeff by playing the wii. Jeff requested no cake as he is trying to be better about eating healthy so family time will just have to be good enough. Sorry no pictures of candles being blown out.

Jeff has a work potluck tomorrow which he has organized so after the playing he'll be in the kitchen cooking up some yummy appetizers to share. He loves to organize these little events at work and they just gave him a "promotion" as the "events coordinator." He has a lot of fun getting these little potlucks together. I'd say they do something about once a quarter or more. I think he missed his calling in life.

As for what presents you get for the old man. He has requested tickets to a Denver Bronco game. He found out they will be playing in the preseason against Seattle. There is no date just yet so we haven't gotten the tickets yet but as soon as he's got the info those tickets are his. He is very excited to go and plans on going with the "guys."

As the economy is starting to really suck and beginning to catch up with us this birthday is a little low key. I really think as the years go by birthdays kind of become just another day. We did try to make Jeff feel special on his big day.

Happy Birthday!!

A little of this and that

The update on Jeff is that he has recovered nicely from his teeth pulling. He has actually done so well it is almost like he never had it done. Of course he has been on his medication to help with the recovery so he has been able to manage very nicely. He has also shown his stubborn streak a bit in not wanting any help except for that first day. It has kind of been nice to get the whole thing behind us.

Today we took our first step towards Andrew's future in school. I had a meeting with the school counselor who opened another file and has gotten the ball rolling to re-evaluate him. He'll spend some time going through more testing to determine if he is kindergarten ready. I expressed my concerns in the meeting and was told around the end of April or beginning of May we will meet again to discuss the results and what my options will be. She sent me home with one survey and told me she'd be sending more home this week. I'm a bit nervous about this whole issue so I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

When I got home from the meeting I was going through my usual routine and cleaning up when I looked at the counter and saw my bananas were turning brown. This prompted me to make banana bread. I love banana bread and so does Meg so I thought it might be a fun thing to make. Andrew has become my little helper lately. As I get stuff done he is always close at hand to see if there is something he can do to help. He loves taking out the recycling bin and anything cooking related. He helped me make the banana bread today and was very happy.

After the banana bread was in the oven I was picking up stuff and found a note taped to Megan's door.

It says "I am not here I went to the store to buy my kids food please come back later" I think she may have been playing house and left it up. I love to see how grown up she is getting and the stuff that she thinks of. The things her seven year old mind thinks up just make me smile. My family sure does make life fun sometimes. What would I do without them??

No More Wisdom

Today Jeff got five teeth removed. All four wisdom teeth and a bonus tooth that had been having lots of problems. Boy was it fun times. We were up early and thanks to MarGene staying with the kids I was able to go and be there if needed. It took about an hour and there were no problems. Things went well and we were sent home with four different prescriptions to help manage the recovery. Jeff got a chocolate milk shake for lunch and I sent him off to bed to relax. I thought he'd take a nap but of course he didn't. The numbness has worn off and he can feel some of the pain but nothing bad. I'm glad he is a good patient. At least after this he won't have to worry about those darn teeth again.